Snap a photo of a sunset with your iPhone and you can upload
it to Twitter with a few clicks. But your smartphone might be transmitting more
than a pretty photograph. It could be
collecting and storing data about your real-time location – and then broadcasting
that information when you upload photos onto the Internet.

What is Geotagging?

Geotagging refers to
the practice of adding location information – like GPS coordinates – to
different types of media, such as photos.
The location information is embedded in a way that may not be visible to
the naked eye. There are several ways
to make geotags visible, including browser plug-ins and software programs that
can reveal the location information embedded in photos, videos and other types
of media.

In Cybercasing
the Joint: On the Privacy Implications of Geotagging, two researchers from
the University of
California Berkeley
investigated how different websites incorporate geotagged media. By examining
photos and videos on Flickr, Craigslist and Youtube, they found 1.3% to 4.3% of
uploaded media included embedded location data.
Not surprisingly, they found geotagged photos and videos were most often
captured through high-end cameras and smartphones (rather than basic cell
phones).

Mobile technology is rapidly evolving. While currently only a small percentage of
the population owns smartphones, we can expect this to increase dramatically in
the coming years. But the rise of smartphones
shouldn’t mean the death of location privacy.

Who Might Be
Interested in Location Data?

Location data can be some of your most sensitive information
– and there may be uses for it that are not yet apparent. Your real-time location may indicate your
home and work addresses, your commuting patterns, what religious institution
you visit, how often you go to a doctor, political rallies you attend or
whether you are seeking the advice of a lawyer.

Websites such as pleaserobme.com drive home the fact that
location data can be used to commit crimes in the real world. This site aggregated real-time status updates
on Twitter to showcase how broadcasting your real-time location might leave
your home vulnerable to burglary while you were away.

While analysts have long speculated that real-time location
can be used by burglars or stalkers when perpetrating crimes, little research
has been done on whether geotags specifically are being used in this way.

How geotags will be used for advertising also remains to be
seen, but it’s clear that marketers are increasingly interested in culling
location data of consumers. For example,
advertisements on mobile phones can be customized based on your location. While
this technology is relatively new, companies like Navteq are already implementing it. In one case study, McDonald’s Finland
used the Navteq service to send a special offer to the mobile devices of
consumers in close proximity to a McDonald’s location. The head of marketing for McDonald’s Finland,
stated that: “Targeting consumers when they are near our locations and then
navigating them right into our stores is powerful marketing for McDonald’s.”

While McDonald’s may find a marketing advantage in
location-based advertisements, it raises concerns about consumer privacy. Did all of the people receiving these special
offers expect their location data to be used in this way? Did they even realize
their location data was being collected by their mobile phones and shared for
marketing purposes?

In fact, consumers have reason for concern. Your mobile device could well be compiling a
dossier of data about where you are and where you’ve been – data that later
could be used against you in a court of law.
Today, law enforcement officers even take courses in “iPhone Forensics”
-- how to tap into the rich evidence
available on the average iPhone. For
an in-depth discussion of locational privacy, read the ACLU of Northern
California's Location-Based
Services: Time for a Privacy Check-in

Privacy and the
Technology of Geotagging

Location data that is willingly shared by a user has
numerous troublesome privacy implications, but geotagging brings additional
concerns. Unlike many other forms of
location data sharing, geotagging is often not visible to the naked eye –
meaning a user might need additional software to reveal what data is being
shared. Since many devices, including
Apple’s popular iPhone, come with the geotagging automatically enabled, it’s
likely that many of the people uploading geotagged data to the Internet don’t
realize they are sharing their location data.

This information may be stored in the mobile device itself
and in the network it connects to. For
the privacy-concerned consumer, even deleting previously stored location data
may not help. “Deleted” data may still
be stored on a mobile phone, a third party platform or in the archives of a
social network. This data may exist
indefinitely, with the consumer unable to access it or have it erased.

Keeping sensitive location data private can be tricky. Here are a few tips to try:

Visit http://icanstalku.com/ – a website designed to raise awareness about
the dangers of geotagging. This site provides step-by-step instructions for
disabling location tagging on several popular phones, including the iPhone.

If you are using a social network, look into the
privacy settings. Consider turning off location sharing and/or choosing a
private account. (Note that Facebook
removes geotags from uploaded photos.)

Take particular care if you are uploading photos
to a website where strangers will see them -- such as Craigslist or Ebay.

Consider installing a plug-in on your browser to
reveal location data – such as Exif Viewer for
Firefox or Opanda IExif for Internet Explorer,
so you can see geotagged data for yourself.

By taking the time to learn about geotagging, you can ensure
the next photo you upload won’t be secretly sharing your location with the
World Wide Web.